04/07/2014
NEWS STORY
Nico Rosberg sets the pace in opening practice at Silverstone as Williams weekend gets off to the worst possible start.
Ahead of today's opening practice session the air temperature is 17 degrees C, while the track temperature is 27 degrees.
Tyre options this weekend are hard (prime) and medium (option). There are two DRS zone, the detection point of the first is before Turn 3, with the activation point after Turn 5, while the second detection point is at Turn 11 with the activation point after Turn 14.
A number of reserve drivers on duty this morning, most notably Susie Wolff who replaces Valtteri Bottas at Williams. Daniel Juncadella is in Adrian Sutil's Force India, Giedo Van der Garde is in for Nico Hulkenberg at Sauber and Robin Frijns replaces Kamui Kobayashi in the Caterham.
The lights go green and Magnussen gets the weekend underway, he is followed by Kvyat, Vergne, Gutierrez and Grosjean.
One by one the drivers take to the track, and within a couple of minutes all but Massa, Wolff and Hamilton have made an appearance. Indeed, the mechanics are working on the cars of the two Britons.
Raikkonen is told of strong head winds at Copse as Wolff finally leaves the pits.
Hamilton finally emerges from the pits his car sporting flo-vis in the sidepods. As he returns to the pits he complains that his steering wheel isn't straight. Massa also completes his first lap of the weekend.
The TV cameras pick up on Christijan Albers on the Caterham pit-wall.
Despite the extra set of tyres which usually mean more track action, there is a surprisingly long wait before any further action. Fourteen minutes into the session, Maldonado fires up the Renault power unit in his Lotus. He stops at the end of the pitlane to perform a practice start - a queue forms behind - but there is a problem and he has to be rescued and pushed back to his garage. Not a good start for the Enstone team.
Ericsson posts the first time of the weekend (50.811) but this is soon beaten by Button and then Wolff, who stops the clock at 44.212.
No sooner has Rosberg posted 40.100 than Button bangs in a 38.412.
Oh dear, Wolff has stopped on the run-off at Vale, she complains of a loss of oil pressure. As her car is pushed to safety the Scot shakes her head in obvious frustration.
As the times tumble - Vergne going quickest with a 38.020 - Caterham reveals a problem on Frijn's car which has meant having to remove the floor.
"It feels like we're overheating the fronts," claims Button.
Williams day gets a whole lot worse as Massa goers off into the barriers at Stowe. The front of the car is badly damaged but the Brazilian - celebrating (or rather not) his 200th Grand Prix - is OK. Replay shows that he ran wide and lost it on the Astroturf damaging the front and rear.
As Massa walks slowly back to the pits, the mood in the Williams garage is decidedly down, the team losing precious track time.
The resultant red flag means that at least the team can rescue Wolff's car. Indeed, both drivers and their cars eventually arrive back in the pitlane. However, the Scot is told that the issue on her car is not an easy fix and as a result she won't be going out again.
Officials announce that the session will re-start at 10:43.
The lights go green and Kvyat is first out of the box.
On-board lap with the Russian is quite disturbing, the car is on the very limit as nervous as hell.
At half-time, even with so little running, it's: Rosberg, Raikkonen, Alonso, Ricciardo, Magnussen, Kvyat, Vergne, Button, Hamilton and Gutierrez.
On board for a lap with Vettel - who improves to ninth - you can hear the car bottoming at various points around the track.
"On closer inspection of @RFrijns' car it looks like an electrical issue is causing a misfire in the PU," tweets Caterham. "Pushing for him to get back out..."
Problems also for Maldonado as the Lotus crew continue to work on his car.
The strong winds are not helping, Van der Garde one of several drivers caught out and forced to run wide.
Ricciardo goes second (36.623) but is soon demoted by Alonso and then Hamilton (36.155), the Mercedes duo now separated by just 0.097. At which point Rosberg bangs in a 35.424.
Asked where he needs to find time he is told two-tenths in S1 and three-tenths in S3.
The Briton duly responds by going quickest in S1 however, he has to back off when Ericsson goes off at Becketts and is left beached. Kobayashi watches from the garage, clearly amused.
Not so amusing for rival drivers or the fans as the car is in a dangerous position and will need to be removed, thereby costing valuable running time.
The all-clear comes with around twenty-three minutes remaining.
Chilton complains that he has more understeer than his teammate. "If I was to go into T1 at the same speed as him, I'd go off," he warns.
Perhaps it's the two stoppages but it's a strangely muted session.
"Something funny is going on," complains Ricciardo. He is told to return to the pits and as he makes his way back the Australian is warned "you're going to hurt the gearbox".
Great work in the Caterham garage sees Frijns back on track with fourteen minutes remaining.
Ricciardo's problem doesn't appear to be as serious as feared, for the Australian is back on track following a quick software reset. Then again, is this what F1 has become?
Alonso and Perez have some fun and games, the pair appearing to think it is Sunday afternoon as they race one another.
As Vettel runs wide in T1, Grosjean complains that his Lotus is "doing whatever it wants".
The session ends with no further improvements, Rosberg is quickest, ahead of Hamilton, Alonso, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Vettel, Button, Kvyat, Vergne and Magnussen.
Perez is eleventh, ahead of Grosjean, Gutierrez, Juncadella, Van der Garde, Bianchi, Massa, Chilton, Ericsson, Frijns, Wolff and Maldonado.
Check out our Friday gallery, here.